


When I Was Your Age and You Were Mine

by emotionalmorphine



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Universe Alteration, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 14:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2625143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emotionalmorphine/pseuds/emotionalmorphine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek has known Stiles his whole life and, for them, there's just no one else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When I Was Your Age and You Were Mine

When Derek is seven and Stiles is just a baby, they meet for the first time. Claudia Stilinski brings over her new bundle of joy, wrapped in a yellow blanket. Derek has been around babies before - he has two younger siblings - so he isn't very interested in this one. Not until Claudia brings the baby over, leans down, and shows him her new son. Derek looks down at the baby, admires his pink cheeks and tufts of hair. He looks sweet, angelic almost, asleep swaddled in his blanket. Derek can hear his heartbeat, fast and steady. Claudia asks if she likes him and Derek says yes.

 

When Derek is nine and Stiles is two, Derek eagerly awaits Claudia's visits. He hears the baby's heartbeat before he hears their car pull into the drive. Derek greets them at the door and Stiles makes grabby hands towards him. Stiles is big enough now that he can toddle around and enjoys playing blocks with Derek on the floor of their lounge room. Claudia let's Derek take Stiles from her and he holds the toddler carefully in his arms, glad for his extra strength. Stiles rests his head on Derek's chest, his small hand curled in Derek's sweater. And Derek couldn't be happier.

 

When Derek is twelve and Stiles is five, Stiles goes to school for the first time. Derek gets to take a picture of him with his backpack and lunch box; he looks so happy, unruly hair sticking up at all angles and his jacket buttoned wrong. Stiles insisted on dressing himself. Claudia fusses over him, straightening his jacket and trying to fix his hair. Derek gets to walk Stiles to class with Claudia, Stiles' small hand wrapped tightly in his. Stiles wants Derek to stay and looks betrayed when Derek says he can't. That hurts Derek more than it should.

 

When Stiles is seven and Derek is fourteen, Stiles meets a boy named Scott. Scott has a mess of brown hair and a big smile. He shares his lunch with Stiles because his mom packs sweets and Claudia doesn't think Stiles needs the extra sugar. He's already a handful. When Stiles visits all he talks about is Scott; Scott's mom is a nurse, Scott has a lot of Legos, Scott likes video games, too! Derek gets a funny feeling in his stomach and he isn't sure he likes Scott as much as Stiles does, but he smiles and nods as he listens to Stiles' excited chatter, hands moving wildly and smile bright.

 

When Stiles is ten and Derek is seventeen, Stiles becomes quiet. Claudia is sick and no one will talk to them about it. Stiles thinks it's his fault. When Claudia goes into the hospital, Stiles shaves off all his hair so they look just the same. They spend a lot of time in the hospital together, Derek watching Stiles while John is with his wife. Stiles doesn't cry but he holds Derek's hand when the doctor comes to see his mom. Claudia never comes back from the hospital.

 

When Stiles is eleven and Derek is eighteen, Stiles starts to act out. His grades slip at school and he argues with his teachers. He yells at his dad. He hates everything and slams his door whenever John comes home, just to make sure his dad doesn't come up to his room. He runs away from home but he runs to Derek. Talia lets him stay the night every time and Stiles curls up next to Derek in his bed. It's the only time he cries, safe in the darkness of Derek's room, their hands curled together.

 

When Stiles is twelve and Derek is nineteen they have to learn to live without each other for the first time in years. Derek goes away to college in New York, an entire country between them. Stiles helps Derek pack and doesn't leave his side until the last possible second, their hands slipping away from each other. Stiles cries that night, alone in his bed. Derek does, too. After a week, Derek wants to come home, but they learn. They Skype every day and Stiles falls asleep watching movies with Derek or just listening to him study. It's tough, but they're tough.

 

When Stiles is fifteen and Derek is twenty-two they've had three years apart. There have been holidays together and phone calls but it's not the same as when Derek moves his things back into his old room and Stiles stays the night, curled next to him. It should be weird, he's not a kid anymore, but it's them and it's different. When Stiles sits on Derek's lap on the couch, it's different, when they hold hands or feed each other food or hug, it's just different. And Stiles wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

When Stiles is sixteen and Derek is twenty-three, Stiles starts dating a girl named Heather. He's known her since he was a kid. He liked her enough but he isn't sure what they're supposed to do. They hang out, go to the movies, and it's just like having another friend. The first time Heather kisses him it's awkward and kind of wet and the first thing Stiles does is tell Derek, even before Scott. Derek doesn't like Heather much but he smiles and congratulates Stiles on his first kiss.

 

When Stiles is nineteen and Derek is twenty-six, Stiles goes away to college in Washington. It's just like when Derek was gone except Derek drives over to see him more often. Stiles loves Washington but he misses Derek too much to really enjoy college life. He dates girls, pretty and smart ones all worthy of his time, Derek thinks, and after a party Stiles calls Derek and asks if it's okay to like guys, too? Of course it is, Derek says, I do, too.

 

When Stiles is twenty-two and Derek is twenty-nine, Stiles finishes his degree with honours. He wants to be a forensic specialist and uses big words that Derek doesn't always understand. Derek nods along anyway and is just glad to have Stiles back. They've been apart for too long. And things go back to normal, except Stiles spends almost all of his time at Derek's apartment, even has a drawer in the closet and keeps his shampoo in the shower next to Derek's. Stiles is over dating and enjoys the quiet nights spent with Derek instead.

 

When Stiles is twenty-three, Derek turns thirty. Stiles throws him a surprise party with the help of Talia and Laura. Derek doesn't like parties much but this one is different, this one is from Stiles. But he prefers that night when Stiles gives him his present when they're alone together. It's not the present that matters but Stiles there with him. Stiles sticks out his pinkie and promises never to leave Derek.

 

When Stiles is twenty-four and Derek is thirty-one, Jennifer comes into the picture. They both work at the high school, Derek teaching History and Jennifer teaching English. Derek likes her but Jennifer doesn't like Stiles. She thinks he's childish and one night tells Derek to ask Stiles to leave. Derek asks Jennifer to leave, instead.

 

When Stiles is twenty-six and Derek is thirty-three, they move in together officially. All of Stiles' stuff is there anyway and John hardly sees him at home anymore. Stiles is ecstatic and Derek helps him put up his posters pride of place on the lounge room walls. They celebrate with Chinese takeout and fall asleep together on Derek's bed.

 

When Stiles is twenty-seven and Derek is thirty-four, they go to Scott's wedding together, as they do most things. Scott beams proudly at his new wife, who is kind and warm, just like Scott. Derek and Stiles share dessert and Stiles pulls Derek out onto the dance floor, despite all the protests. Stiles rests his cheek on Derek's shoulder and they sway back and forth to the sappy love song playing overhead. They don't tell each other but they both know they want this forever.

 

When it happens it's not on any special day and their age doesn't matter anymore. It's on a lazy Friday night watching Star Trek reruns together, Stiles' feet in Derek's lap. Stiles waves his hands wildly when he yells at the shoddy science and tugs on Derek's sweater when Stiles wants him to pay attention. Derek hides his smile and rubs his thumb over Stiles' ankle, over and over. Derek only notices that Stiles is watching when it goes silent. Stiles is looking at him and then leans forward and presses his lips to Derek's, curling his hand in the red sweater Derek is wearing. It's quiet, it's simple, and Derek responds with enthusiasm, slipping his hand into Stiles' hair.

When Stiles pulls away he smiles happily and flops back on the couch, arms slung over his head. "I think that's been a long time coming," he says. "I love you, okay?"

Derek grins. "I know."

Stiles throws a pillow at him.


End file.
